Samsung could pack bigger-than-rumored camera upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Ultra next year. And to achieve that, the company will seemingly redesign the rear camera layout, bringing back the iconic camera island from the 2021 Galaxy S21 Ultra.
A Korean report from Newsis claims both Apple and Samsung will use bigger camera sensors on their upcoming flagships to improve the imaging performance. To achieve this, both companies will use a bigger camera bump on their devices, creating space for the bigger hardware.
Samsung will go back to its camera island design — last seen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra — to house the bigger camera sensors. The company moved away from a camera bump in recent years, opting for individual protruding rings around each sensor.
With Samsung focusing on further slimming down the S26 Ultra, the camera island would be a smart compromise and provide more internal space for larger sensors.
Bigger is better for camera sensors
A bigger camera sensor will allow the Galaxy S26 Ultra to capture images with more light and detail. Samsung has been using the same 200MP HP2 ISOCELL sensor on its Ultra flagships since the 2023 Galaxy S23 Ultra.
This has left Samsung’s flagships trailing rivals from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which equip their high-end devices with 1-inch type sensors. But then, these phones come with large, circular camera islands that significantly protrude from the device’s body.
Rumors point to the S26 Ultra sticking to the same sensor but adopting a wider f/1.4 aperture, significantly boosting light intake. That should help close the gap in imaging performance between Samsung’s flagships and those of its Chinese rivals.
The company will also supposedly upgrade the 10MP 3x telephoto sensor to a 50MP shooter, which should also lead to a dramatic boost in image quality. The other 5x telephoto and ultrawide sensors are not rumored to get any upgrades.
If anything, Samsung’s move to a camera island design seems necessary in its quest to slim down the phone’s profile.
Whatever the case, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be Samsung’s most exciting Ultra release in recent times, packing noticeable design changes and internal upgrades.
